Base-ball-game apparatus.



P. c. PEUSER. BASE BALL GAMB APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILIED JAN. 16. 1908.

Patented Mar. 8.1910.

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P. C. PEUSBR.

BASE BALL GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 16. 190s.

951,257. Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

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BASE BALL GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1908. 95 1,257. Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

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PETER C. PEUS'ER, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.-

BASE-BALL-GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Lettersl Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

Application filed January 16, 1908. Serial No. 411,074.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER C. PEUsER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base- Ball-Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for simulating the game of base ball, and to arrange the apparatus for use in-doors as a house game.

It is proposed to provide a mechanical pitcher capable of convenient manual manipulation for delivering the ball to the batter, and to provide a mechanical batter for manual manipulation to bat the ball delivered by the pitcher. There is `also a catcher constructed for catching the ball delivered by the pitcher when the batter fails to strike the ball. There are also infielders, out-fielders and baseerunners as in the ordinary game of base ball. I also provide a board having a miniature diamond marked off thereon, there being an upstanding flange entirely around the board corresponding to the usual fence. To prevent loss of the ball delivered by the pitcher when it passes the batter and the catcher, there is a. back-stop capable of being taken down and folded for convenience in storage.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus embodying the features of the present invention. Figs. 9. and 3 are enlarged detail views of the batter. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views of the pitcher. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the catcher. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the fielders Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the base-runners.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

The present apparatus includes a playing field or board 1, which is covered with some suitable material, preferably felt. Around t-he entire peripheral edge of the board or field is an upstanding rim or flange 2 corresponding to the ordinary fence. A miniature diamond is marked off on the board, and in rear of the catchers position is a back-stop comprising a pair of space posts 3 having their lower ends removably fitted in seats or sockets 4 carried by the inner face of the flange 2. Between the posts and carried thereby is stretched the body of the back-stop, which may be of -any suitable flexible material, preferably canvas. When not in use, the posts are removed from the socket and the canvas wound around the posts so as to fold the back-stop into compact form for storage.

The pitcher 6 is shaped and colored to represent a miniature ball player, and is provided at its back with depending prop 7 having a rearwardly-directed foot 8 designed to be received within open-ended seats or sockets 9 driven into the board. These seats may be in the nature of ordinary double-ended tacks. The arms 10 are pivoted to swing vertically and are connected by the cross bar 11 disposed to engage the front of the body and support the arms in a substantially horizontal posit-ion. Connected to the free end of each arm is an lel-astic member 12, and there is a pocket 13 connecting the free ends of the elastic members. By placing a ball, such for instance, as an ordinary marble, in the pocket, the pitching device may be manipulated in the manner of an ordinary bean shooter to deliver the ball to the batter.

The batter 14 has a. prop provided with a pair of rearwardly'-directed rigid feet designed to be removably fitted into suitable seats or sockets 16 in the board so as to maintain the batter rigidly in the proper relation to the home plate. The head and shoulders portion of the batter is mounted to rotate upon a vertical pin or axis 17 rising from the body, and there is a bat 18 carried by the oscillating portion of the batter. The oscillating portion is yieldably maintained in its normal position by springs or the like 19, and the oscillating movement is limited by means of a stationary stop projection rising from the top of the body and received in a seat or socket 21 in the oscillating portion. For manually manipulating the oscillating portion of the batter, there is a cord 22 connected to the oscillating portion, so that by pulling upon the cord the bat may be swung forward in imitation of the batting movement employed in the ordinary game of base ball.

The catcher 23 has a prop provided with a rearwardly-extending foot 24 to removably fit in seats or sockets 25 in the board. The arms 26 of the catcher are rigid and rise above its head, where they carry a receptacle 27 which is ope-n in front for the reception of the ball when the batter fails to strike it.

The lielders are duplicates, and therefore a description of one will suffice. Each fielder is in the form of a miniature ball player 28, from the legs of which diverge forwardly a pair of rods 29. A pair of arms 30, extend downwardly and forwardly from the body and are connecte-d to the outer ends of the rods. A keeper bar 3l is mounted to slide upon the arms and is normally at the lower ends thereof. When a ball is rolling upon the held and rolls in between the arms it strikes and raises the keeper which afterward gravitates to its normal position and prevents escape of the ball. lVhen a batted ball is thus trapped, the batter is out, as when a fly ball is caught in the ordinary game.

Any suitable number of base-runners may be employed, three being sufficient. Each base-runner 32 is in the form of a miniature base ball player and is provided with a sharp pointed downwardly and rearwardly inclined prop or pin 33 designed to be thrust into the board so as to support the runner v at any of the bases.

The game is played according to the usual base ball rules or any desired modication thereof, the pitcher being manipulated by one player, and the batter manipulated by an opposing player. Then a hit is made a base runner is advanced as usual according to the length of the hit, as arbitrarily set up in the rules or agreed upon.

What is claimed is :h

l. In a game apparatus, a fielder having a pair of rods extending forwardly and arranged to rest upon the field, a pair of arms inclined downwardly to the rods, and a keeper bar slidable upon the arms and nor mally at the lower ends thereof.

Q. In a base ball game apparatus, a pitcher consisting of a miniature base ball player having a pair of vertically swinging arms of a length to extend above the head of the pitcher, elastic members connected with the arms and a ball-receiving pocket connected to the elastic members.

3. In a base ball game apparatus, a mechanical batter consisting of a miniature base ball player having a stationary body portion, an oscillating shoulders portion, a bat carried by the oscillating portion, and means for manually manipulating the oscillating portion.

il. In a base ball game apparatus, fielders, each having a pair of forwardly-extending rods, a pair of forwardly*extending arms connected to the rods, and a keeper connecting and slidable upon the arms, a mechanical pitcher having swinging arms and a ball receiving pocket elastically connected thereto, a mechanical batterl having an oscillating bat and means for manually manipulat` ing the same, a catcher having means for catching the ball, the pitcher, batter and catcher provided with props having feet, and seats for the reception of the feet to suppo-rt the pitcher, batter and catcher in their respective positions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. GILLESPIE, HARRY A. KENNY. 

